Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-27
HOW THE ELEVATOR WORKS.
The Mystery Of All its Wheels and Ropes
and Things Made Plain.
THE CAR IS GENERALLY PUSHED Up BY WATER AND
GOES DOWN BY TTSELF-WHAT THE BOY DOES WHEN
HE YANKS THE ROPE

L
THE CAR IS GENERALLY PUSHED Up BY WATER AND
GOES DOWN BY ITsELF-wHAT THE BOY DOES WHEN
| HE YANKS THE ROPE.
From the New York Sun.
at Is safer to ride than to climb" said one OF
the leading builders of elevators in this city yes
| terday. ave carry over 10000 passengers on our
| elevators In this city every day, and you can
judge for yourself what per cent of them killed
as compared with the numberh hurt in falling down
| stairs. As many passengers ride on elevators in
this city as on the elevated roads, and not half so
| many people are killed or hurt by them as by the
| roads. / don't believe people appreciate how
| great number OF passengers use the vertical
| railway"
The elevator in common use in the big office
| buildings down town and the lofty apartment
houses about the lower end OF Central Park Is the
hydraulic variety OF hoisting machine; that is, it
is run by water. 1t is very simple in construction,
/ although its operations is impregnated with an
| air OF mystery. Everybody who rides in elevators
| has had at one time or another curiosity enough
to find out that the four wire ropes that pass from
the top OF the car goes over wheels at the top OF
/ the elevator shaft and then down on one side OF
! the shalt under a wheel that travels up and down
and then up again to some unknown region above.
The travelling wheel is seen TO be fixed at the top
OF two rods that disappear into tall iron cylinder
a little over foot I'm diameter AS the rods push
Ing the wheel above them rise Out OF the cylinder
the rope Is slackened away, as sailor would say,
over the wheels at the top OF The elevator shaft.
| and the car deScends. When the Car is wanted to
go up again the rods disappear into the bowels OF
| the cylinder, pulling down the wheel and ropes
and hosting the car. The man In charge OF the
| car effects this change from up to down and from
down to Up by pulling Oh rope tnat is like eter-
nifty in that part Of Is within the grasp, but the
| ends In each direction lead we know hot where.
In the tall cylinder into which the rods rum and
attached TO them, Is piston which hts the inside
OF the cylinder as accurately as fat woman fits
| jersey. From the top OF the cylinder pipe runs
| away, usually by an obscured and roundabout
course that hides 1t from observation to tank at
the top OF the building In tie big Potter build
| ~ instance. : fppt
the top OF the cylinder which Is itself 30 feet long.
The tank holds 5000 gallons OF water.
With the car at the street floor the piston is at
the top OF the cylinder. The young man in charge
| pulls his mysterious rope, which leads down to
end of small shaft. The pull on the rope turns
| wheel and shaft, and thus opens valve in the
pipe that leads from the tank On top OF the build
| Ing down TO the head OF the cylinder. The
cylinder has 15-inch bore, the pipe 5-inch bore
and the water a head OF 60 feet. That pressure
shoves the piston down and hoists the car AT
the different floors the elevator man shuts of the
water and stops the car simply by pulling the
hand rope Finally the piston reaches the bottom
cylinder is full Of water, and the flow OF Water
from the tank on the roof has been stopped
gives his rope long pull in the opposite direction
from that In which he pulled when he wanted TO
go up This opens valve in the top OF the cyl
Under connecting with pipe that runs down and
into the bottom of the cylinder. The opening OF
this valve allows the water to run from the top OF
the cylinder through the pipe and down into the
bottom OF the cylinder beneath the piston II
does this because the elevator car Is heavy enough
TO lift the water in the cylinder after the pipe
connected with the roof tank Is shut of. The car
which has been forced up by the pressure OF the
water descendS by It's own weight, forcing the
water out as IL does So The speed OF the descent
Is controlled by the extent that the valve leading
To the outflow pipe is opened II IL Is wide omen
the car forces the water out very fast, and goes
down 50 rapidly That the unaccuStOmed Passenger
catches his breath at the peculiar sinking Sensa-
ton. When the reaches the bottom tie water
that Was the cylinder over the piston has ali
he min ID
back into the bottom, and the piston has risen TO
the top. The car Is now ready TO make an ascent
Inc elevator man az ain yankS his rope and turns
the roof tank loose on the top OF the piston. The
same pun on the rope opens valve at the bottom
| Oh the cylinder and allows the water to run out
as the piston comes down.
The pressure OF the water on the top of the pis-
ton III the cylinders in the Potter building is 20
| pounds TO the square inch. There is an addi-
tioni air pressure Of 10 pounds that might be in-
creased until the total pressure the head OF the
piston was 100 more pounds. This Is procured
| by forcing the water flowing out OF the bottom OF
the cyiinter when the Car ascendS with pumps uD
TO the tank on The roof, which when it Is three
quarters tull Is made air tight. The water being
forced IN by the pumps congresses the air remain
Ing In the tank and gives the additional pressure
The peculiar complaining sound which every
| one has noticed When hydraulic elevators were
| running is made by The water escaping from the
cylinders.
| People seeing the number OF ropes by which the
cars are suspended, usually four, and each rope
more than strong enough TO sustain the weight OF
the people, think the car absolutely safe. AS a
guarantee OF safety at all. In some cases those
ropes are all made fast to yoke which is secured
TO the car by single bolt. II a flaw should be
| developed in the bolt or In the plates through
which IL Is showed. In the yoke, the four ropes
would avail nothing. Against this danger the
| friction clutch Is the common safeguard. When
the car Is cut loose from the rope spring Is re-
| leased, which throws certain clutches OH the car
Into nOtcheS or cOSS on the sides OF the elevator
shaft, and either hold 1t or let 1t down easy.
These clutches OF little use unless the springs
! are kept clear and free to act quickly.
! IL "A on
! gtne governor placed over the top OF each shaft
| As the ear goes down these governors must
volve III IL goes faster than certain speed they
lift the friction clutches into action and stop the
car. They act thus whether the Car breaks loose
| any other reason.
AS rule engineers In charge OF elevators are the
most SOBER and steady or their trade. But they
are only human, and 10 guard against i'll results
| from their possible careessneSs there Is a law to
keep them vigiIant: The building department has
two inspectors whose sole duty it Is 70 go from
tors The law requires the inspectors TO carefully
examine every passenger elevator in the city
| Ing inspection department that the inspectors
seldom failed TO get around often as the law re-
| Quires, though they did sometimes perhaps over
run week or so. The elevator manufacturers are
required 10 give the department full particulars Of
| all passenger elevators erected in town, and no
the department..
The engineer In charge is bound by the law to
inspect his machinery thoroughly every day.
| Some OF them, IL Is said comply with this law.
The number OF pounds which each passenger ee-
yator Is allowed TO carry must be placed upon a
metal plate III raised letters and the plate posted
conspicuouSly in the elevator Car. This law is
complied with in some elevators, too.
The following are the qualifications required Of
| the boy who runs the car:
He shall have knowledge of the different parts Of
the machinery attached to necessary in RUM ng
such elevators and understand the application thereof
he shall have at least months experience in
ming an elevator under the instruction of competent
i person
He shall! be reliable and of industrious and sober
habits.
He shall not be less than eighteen wears Of age.
Besides the hydraulic kind OF elevator there are
sone IN use lor carrying passengers that are run
/ by which the Car is suspended pass over pulleys
AT the top OF the shaft, and down to big drum In
| the basement Cog-wheel gearing connects the
/ drum with the engine that furnishes The power
/ Inese nave the dangers OF defective ropes and
Irction clutcheS that do not clutch, and the add-
tlonai danger OF detective castings In the engine
gearing Careless engineers or their assistants
nave been known TO drop monkey wrencheS cold
Sniseis or otner odds and ends into the cogS and
oreak them on, with disastrous results TO the ma
cnlnery. II was break in the gearing that
dropped the freight elevator In Mercer street, q
lew days ago, with fatal results.
She Believes In Henry.
| From the Omaha World
Henry George-"My dear, this steak is burnt to q
crisp"
Mrs George-"Mercy me! So It tsn
Ana the potatoes are not half donen